We spent the second day of the trip in the Red-footed Flacon tower hide in the heart of Hortobagy NP. There are very few suitable nesting sites for the falcons in the wide open flat landscape of Hortobagy. Nesting boxes have been provided at a few sites and the birds take to them very readily. There is some competition between the Red-footed Falcons, the Common Kestrels and the Jackdaws as to who gets possession of a particular box. To add to the competition, a Long-eared Owl had nested in one of the boxes and sat on its eggs throughout our visit. The Red-footed Falcons were for some unknown reason very late in returning from Africa this spring so we only had one pair around the hide whereas there would often have been at least three pairs.
In the afternoon we walked to the so called Little Owl hide which is close by. This is one of Saker's portable hides - a simple box hide of a wooden frame and canvas. Unfortunately the Little Owl flew off as we approached and did not return - it spent the rest of the day in the farm sheds.